The Catcher in the RyeThe Catcher in the Rye

Chapter 10Chapter 10

““It was still pretty early. I'm not sure It was still pretty early. I'm not sure what time it was, but it wasn't too what time it was, but it wasn't too late.” late.”

““The one thing I hate to do is go to The one thing I hate to do is go to bed when I'm not even tired.” bed when I'm not even tired.”

““So I opened my suitcases and took So I opened my suitcases and took out a clean shirt, and then I went in out a clean shirt, and then I went in the bathroom and washed and the bathroom and washed and changed my shirt.” changed my shirt.”

““What I thought I'd do, I thought I'd go What I thought I'd do, I thought I'd go downstairs and see what the hell was downstairs and see what the hell was going on in the Lavender Room.” going on in the Lavender Room.”

““They had this night club, the They had this night club, the Lavender Room, in the hotel.Lavender Room, in the hotel.

““Except for a few pimpy-looking Except for a few pimpy-looking guys, and a few whory-looking guys, and a few whory-looking blondes, the lobby was pretty blondes, the lobby was pretty empty.” empty.”

““But you could hear the band playing But you could hear the band playing in the Lavender Room, and so I went in the Lavender Room, and so I went in there. It wasn't very crowded, but in there. It wasn't very crowded, but they gave me a lousy table anyway--they gave me a lousy table anyway--way in the back.” way in the back.”

““I should've waved a buck under the I should've waved a buck under the head-waiter's nose. In New York, boy, head-waiter's nose. In New York, boy, money really talks--I'm not kidding.”money really talks--I'm not kidding.”

Three women are seated at the next Three women are seated at the next table, and Holden summons up the table, and Holden summons up the courage to ask if any of them would courage to ask if any of them would care to dance.care to dance.

““I started giving the three witches at I started giving the three witches at the next table the eye again.” the next table the eye again.”

““That is, the blonde one.”That is, the blonde one.”

““The other two were strictly from The other two were strictly from hunger. I didn't do it crudely, though. hunger. I didn't do it crudely, though. I just gave all three of them this very I just gave all three of them this very cool glance and all.”cool glance and all.”

““What they did, though, the three of What they did, though, the three of them, when I did it, they started them, when I did it, they started giggling like morons.” giggling like morons.”

So all of a sudden, I sort of leaned So all of a sudden, I sort of leaned over and said, "Would any of you over and said, "Would any of you girls care to dance?" girls care to dance?"

I didn't ask them crudely or anything. I didn't ask them crudely or anything. Very suave, in fact. But God damn it, Very suave, in fact. But God damn it, they thought that was a panic, too. they thought that was a panic, too. They started giggling some more. I'm They started giggling some more. I'm not kidding, they were three real not kidding, they were three real morons. morons.

"C'mon," I said. "I'll dance with you "C'mon," I said. "I'll dance with you one at a time. All right? How 'bout it? one at a time. All right? How 'bout it? C'mon!" I really felt like dancing.C'mon!" I really felt like dancing.

““Finally, the blonde one got up to dance Finally, the blonde one got up to dance with me.” with me.”

““She was one of the best dancers I ever She was one of the best dancers I ever danced with. I'm not kidding, some of danced with. I'm not kidding, some of these very stupid girls can really knock these very stupid girls can really knock you out on a dance floor.” you out on a dance floor.”

““You take a really smart girl, and half the You take a really smart girl, and half the time she's trying to lead you around the time she's trying to lead you around the dance floor, or else she's such a lousy dance floor, or else she's such a lousy dancer, the best thing to do is stay at dancer, the best thing to do is stay at the table and just get drunk with her.”the table and just get drunk with her.”

““They didn't invite me to sit down at They didn't invite me to sit down at their table-- mostly because they their table-- mostly because they were too ignorant--but I sat down were too ignorant--but I sat down anyway.” anyway.”

““The blonde I'd been dancing with's The blonde I'd been dancing with's name was Bernice something--Crabs name was Bernice something--Crabs or Krebs.”or Krebs.”

““The two ugly ones' names were The two ugly ones' names were Marty and Laverne.” Marty and Laverne.”

““I told them my name was Jim Steele, I told them my name was Jim Steele, just for the hell of it.” just for the hell of it.”

““Then I tried to get them in a little Then I tried to get them in a little intelligent conversation, but it was intelligent conversation, but it was practically impossible.” practically impossible.”

““You could hardly tell which was the You could hardly tell which was the stupidest of the three of them.” stupidest of the three of them.”

““And the whole three of them kept And the whole three of them kept looking all around the goddam room, looking all around the goddam room, like as if they expected a flock of like as if they expected a flock of goddam movie stars to come in any goddam movie stars to come in any minute.” minute.”

““They probably thought movie stars They probably thought movie stars always hung out in the Lavender always hung out in the Lavender Room when they came to New York, Room when they came to New York, instead of the Stork Club or El instead of the Stork Club or El Morocco and all.”Morocco and all.”

““I danced with them all--the whole I danced with them all--the whole three of them--one at a time.” three of them--one at a time.”

““The one ugly one, Laverne, wasn't The one ugly one, Laverne, wasn't too bad a dancer, but the other one, too bad a dancer, but the other one, old Marty, was murder.” old Marty, was murder.”

““Old Marty was like dragging the Old Marty was like dragging the Statue of Liberty around the floor.”Statue of Liberty around the floor.”

““The bar was closing up for The bar was closing up for the night, so I bought them the night, so I bought them all two drinks apiece quick all two drinks apiece quick before it closed, and I before it closed, and I ordered two more Cokes for ordered two more Cokes for myself.”myself.”

““All of a sudden, when they All of a sudden, when they finished their drink, all finished their drink, all three of them stood up on three of them stood up on me and said they had to me and said they had to get to bed.”get to bed.”

““They said they were going They said they were going to get up early to see the to get up early to see the first show at Radio City first show at Radio City Music Hall.”Music Hall.”

““With cigarettes and all, the check With cigarettes and all, the check came to about thirteen bucks.” came to about thirteen bucks.”

““I think they should've at least I think they should've at least offered to pay for the drinks they had offered to pay for the drinks they had before I joined them--I wouldn't've let before I joined them--I wouldn't've let them, naturally, but they should've them, naturally, but they should've at least offered. I didn't care much, at least offered. I didn't care much, though.” though.”

Cool Teacher Site

coolteacher.iwarp.com